


Steel Claw Addendum

by HorizonCode99213



Category: Space Pawdyssey
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-22 16:36:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22718995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HorizonCode99213/pseuds/HorizonCode99213
Summary: Dashing blood across the stones, the story of Space Pawdyssey set in the wild west.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Valentine's Night

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Space Pawdyssey](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/559084) by Greg Grodin. 



Steel Paw Run

Chapter 1: Valentine's Night.

Lighting a fire in the sky, a radiant sun kisses the peaks of snowy mountains casting a shadowy blanket upon searing desert sands. A lonely wooden shack rests at the head of this blanket, resting for many years now-white paint cracked and dried. A beast of calm disposition with a suit of red, walks upon this evening bed. This shack is a dried oasis which is not confused with dripping mirages. With haste this beast ran, before the sun could rest below searing sands, to sing bedtime stories to a friendly beast who calls this place home.

The red beast who approaches, a door without locks, readily open, for all to tread through. Walking on wooden boards resting in sand, they don't creek but crack like freshly baked bread. Barren walls, surely unkempt, tin cans litter a ghostly hall. At the end awaits a gate, decorated with labels of peaches and dates, glued with haste. Door to the room of a funny Valentine.

Heartbeats are getting stronger. Blood pressure is getting higher. Beyond that colorful door the weather is far colder than an unanswered prayer. No need to knock, bluntness is the only way my friend understands me when I talk. Open the door and yell, for hope that it shall start my friends’ heart anew. 

“My sweet Valentine! Patience for the night dims! Rise! Heed my call!.” A creature of brown sugar and black chocolate and vanilla coffee stirs upon a straw bed. “My Captain, sleep has not found me for all the day as I lay upon this straw bed. And most certainly, If you could not see my heaving chest, you most surely would think me dead.” answered the friend named Valentin. “ The carols of your furnace have not sung the song of supper, nor has it seduced the boiling of coffee. Often you forget to eat but a caffeine addict would not rid himself of such a treat. Eating fruits without labor, a painting of death to any carnivore. Sweet sugar licked to replace the joy that does not entail. Valentin, my friend, you can not hide that your heart is breaking.,” the Captain mourns. “Connor, my captain, I do not hide my pain as you do. Concealing your hands behind your back as if hiding what should kill me. You leave me a burden only I bear. Do you believe morality is something only you can see? How quickly I forget to feel when you stop visiting me. It only took one day! I can not bear to cast sight upon you no longer!” chides soft Valentin.

Captain Connor is held hostage by this guilty prison for a crime he did not commit with malice. “Valentin, you are the only one who I know can smile through the pain. You count on me like a little girl reads a clock. For you to live a normal way, I must not stop my chimes, at the same hour of every day. I did mean to neglect you. Upon the snow capped mountains where I journey, to find sweet-meats hidden in snow I fell into a cave that would be my prison for a whole day. The pool a cup of liquid red, thicker than blood almost drowning in its pool of crimson dread. Scarred and beaten, my only escape was to cut my fingers into the caves slick walls. Horribly scarred my hands now become, it is my truest alibi. My uneven breaths for I ran through the sands of time, never resting, all for my worry of your health!,” cried the Captain.

“My Captain, I do not even have to see the blood curtain you wear for me to believe your story. Never a lie has left your lips. Blinded by my rage I only saw what you hide rather than see the crimson truth you present radiant as the sun upon you. But I beg of you, reveal your hands to me. For fear you will kill me for casting such pain upon your heart and body. My own fear of what I mean to you or anyone begs to come to end. By death or by friend.” whispered Valentin. Connor trembles in cold,”behind my back I do not hide a blade, but the strangest of truths that pierces the strongest of faith and honor” Connor cries,”Behold! My hands are cast in silver steel! For this is the only way for me to scale the death cave. This is the only way I am able to kiss your name!” Valentin merely smiles and giggles like a child. “Silver hands don't disturb me, for they are not bleeding. I must treat your wounds. You crimson idiot, we hold a common ground." Now wrapped in bandages and cloth, Captain Connor calms his heart. Valentin has regained his humor quickly, Connor's steady chimes move once again. A dinner of stale bread and hot water greets them both. The only meal that is left to afford “I know I should conceal this steel the way I hid you away in this house. Where the smoke of the furnace cannot be seen by prying eyes.,” Connor speaks soothingly of cruel fate. “I am much more like you, to be seen as demons of the natural world.” 

Valentin has regained his laugh just from the presence of the captain’s words, a treaty of protection has been made. A mutual love to be shown. For the mighty arms of Atlas Connor had been bestowed and now accompanied with the mighty hammer of Thor. “How strange that I have only grown more energetic as the adrenaline has dozed off. We are both the hunter and the hunted now. The sun sleeps, I think it is time that I introduce you to the town that I police. I feel no fear.” Connor says with resolve. "And I feel all but fear, of running west will never end if all the cities and towns hate me. And if I get a little bit lonely my soul breaks down with my body", says Valentin. “You do not deserve this fate my friend. We have both escaped death to simply be standing here. We shall cross the marks of this earth and swim through this society of beast lest we drown by our own hands! Cut the hands of those that stand against us!” Exit the wooden prison with stomachs half empty and blood hot, to descend upon the town with high hopes of starting again. 

“All will be well when I am with you my friend”

  
  
  



	2. Toby's Might

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WIP of Chapter 2. Will update soon.

Steel Paw Run

Chapter 2: Toby's Might

"In the first part of the journey, we'll have to cross a stretch of desert that's as shifting as the seaside white crown and as frigid as the snow-peaked mountains of the North when the sun sets down. We'll run the whole way through, faster than the movement of the earth. Don't want to get caught out there with no shelter. To the far end of this shifting desert and to the beginning of the next part of the night-long journey, comes a winding valley of polished stone, echoed by the scathing kisses of countless centuries of wind. Towers of orange gloss with rough tops and full of bending caverns where one can be easily lost.” said Connor. “Pause and process that Valentine, know you need to.”

Connor continues, “I have a path we can follow, know the place by heart from my time of patrolling the area for outlaws. Lost my gun in the cavern, and yer revolver is rusty, unused, left above the kettle mouth to be irrigated by the stream of steam. Bare-handed we can not fight. Bullets rip through minds and mouths and use red ink to write their vows. This curse of fortune, scarce food, little water, stay or go we choose where our deathbed rest. Let’s start running now, want to get to the Orange valley before we run outta light. We’ll rest at the edge to catch our breaths.”

Run through the valley of the shadow of death, faster than the messenger who hath news of enemies passing through the southern border. Tips of boots running on air, leaving comet trials in their tails of sands. Quick breathes, heaving chests, their bodies tired from previous tests, begging for rest on the orange bed that lies before them. 

"In the first part of the journey, I had no shock, but now I have one question. Do you believe the steel that casts your hands to be a gift from gods? Stirred into the pot of that cave ready for you to fall in?" says Valentine in a heavy breath. "Ay if gods create this miracle it gives no comfort to my soul. And I am not yet certain if this a cruel gift or a heartful curse. Perhaps a ritual performed by sinners to heed them power played a role. Or given how my wounds have healed so quickly and my strength so rebound, this could be the work of a witchdoctor's nurse. And yet all explanation is folly, this flexible steel raises mysteries never seen before. My mind wanders only to conquer the thought of living the rest of my life with them. My only fear is what my social future has in store. And later shall I confront where this rose bush stems. Focus on life now," replies the captain.

"Yes, my Captain, but if you'd please take a moment to look where we stand. The setting sun sure does set dancing shadows of cactus upon this land but if there is a running shadow of a man upon the rocks upon the edge of the mountain then my eyes hath not failed my brain," Valentine bides. “My eyes are crusted with mud and blood. You are now my eyes of heaven, Valentine. Tell me your visions of hell and boding. Describe the man so the faster I may plan." whispers Connor.

"Saw the shadow jump behind the pillar rock to the West, a tail that looks of plants seen in the marshy south. Cattails, I believe a commoner called them. This shadow man must be one of those lions from the mountains that you told me about. I see no weapons bolstered, he hardly had any armor as I could see. Is a lion threat? Are we in danger, Captain?" soft says, Valentin. 

"A Lion? On this side of the mountains? A damn Lion?! We must urge him that we mean no harm. Articles of peace must be written before we meet. The memories of war stay forever in the minds of men. I'll holler him hither." whispered Connor. "If there be a traveler here we will not strike you! If there is a native there we will not spite you! We do not wish blood, peace be unto you. Hold out your presence and offer goodwill to calm our hearts with your truth!" Called Connor. 

Soft steps stifle the speaking of sand as the man walks behind the wall while the sun lies and the full moon rises with its soft truth. The truthful silver moonlight presents itself a beast with radiant yellow fur, cotton on the belly, Emerald eyes that glimmer in the laying sun. A Lion from the mountains has come out to play.

“Ay, I am merely a traveler as you are! I mean no harm unto you, my friends!” The Lion reveals itself in full with its assurance of peace. Like a precious pearl in the sand, the lion stands before them glimmering in a handsome beauty that does not match the dry snapping bark of the starving desert but of the nourished blossoming arrowhead flower of the Mississippi River. The Strength of a warrior and the agility of a foot messenger is apparent throughout the lion's body.

“We would be glad to call you our friends. What is your name, traveler? We must break bread. Get to know each other more if you have the time to of course.” replies the Captain. “Come a little bit closer. I can not hear you all too well my friend. I think the sand has clogged my ears. And I don’t want you to strain your voice by shouting”, yells the Lion.

The Lion stands at the bottom of a smooth orange hill and Connor does not want the Lion to distrust him or to see him as rude. So Connor obliges. Connor jumps from the top of the hill to its flat base. A distance that is about over 10 meters long. Completely Ignoring the awkward task of walking down a smooth hillside. Valentine, not sure If he could mimic Connor’s long jump and seeing how the hillside looked like an orange wave that was not too steep, slides down on his back. Connor lands without losing his balance but as Valentine slides down the hill he tumbles and rolls down with a yelp and stops at Connor’s feet. Connor helps Valentine stand up once more and they walk towards the Lion until both parties are about six feet apart. “I’ll repeat myself for you sweet stranger, we should break bread and get to know each other better,” Connor says calmly to the Lion. “oh, you’re so kind to someone you’ve just met, you must be one of those preachers with swords on their hips. I would like to ask you a question first before we do that though. Your friend there, the one with the spots on his face and with the teacup ears, what kind of dog is he? I’ve never seen a dog that-” “But I’m not a dog,” interrupts Valentine. “- or a wolf that has such a big nose as he does. Does he stick it everywhere it should not be? Or is he blind of the nose and cannot smell smoke and blood? I knew a wolf with such a nose once. He would cover himself in the iron rust of beating hearts and the ashes of bones. And this wolf runs free, with black dogs that gallop over farmers’ crops and with their torches they burn down quiet mountain homes.


End file.
